public enemy number 1

[nacho]

their just jealous

Storm named 'Public Enemy No.1

By Matt Marshall

August 16, 2007 NRL frontrunner Melbourne has overtaken Manly as rugby league's "Public Enemy No.1", with the latest grapple tackle feud reigniting ill-feeling between high-flying Storm and rival clubs.

Storm has waged war with six NRL counterparts in recent years, and this week it was again pinned as chief culprit in the contentious grapple tackle debate, a situation that yesterday prompted an angry response from Melbourne's camp.

Balmain legend Benny Elias believes the festering resentment will see non-Manly fans do the unthinkable and support the Sea Eagles should the top two sides on the NRL ladder play each other in the grand final.

"The sentiment has gone back into Manly whereas Melbourne, they've become the No. 1 enemy," Elias said.

"It's Melbourne and whoever's playing Melbourne - that's the way it'll happen.

"They hate Sydney down in Melbourne and we don't like them here either. We've got to have that because we're in New South Wales and they're in Victoria.

"It's looking like a Melbourne versus Manly grand final and I'd have to say all of Sydney would get behind Manly - and that is a change for the times.

"It's a tall-poppy syndrome. They are the leader and we don't like the leader. Manly have slowly but surely regained a lot of credibility in the public market.

"Everyone in Sydney would be barracking for Manly against Melbourne, very much so."

The latest grapple tackle debate has again soured relations between Brisbane and Storm.

North Queensland, Parramatta, Wests Tigers, Manly and the Bulldogs have also had public spats with Craig Bellamy's troops in recent times.

And fans in Queensland, where Storm once was considered a sentimental favourite with eight Queenslanders in its top-25 roster, have turned on Melbourne given the club's poor relationship with both the Broncos and the Cowboys.

The Cowboys-Storm feud dates back to round 26 of 2005, after which North Queensland prop Carl Webb copped a five-week ban for punching Storm opponent Ryan Hoffman in reaction to what the Queenslander regarded as a grapple tackle.

Brisbane has accused Melbourne of "grappling" since 2003 but the relationship between the two clubs seriously deteriorated only after last year's grand final stoush.

Parramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald kick-started ill-feeling between the Eels and Storm in 2004 by claiming there was no place for league in Victoria.

Ill-feeling between the two clubs still simmers, with Eels coach Michael Hagan saying this week that he feared for his players' well-being ahead of tomorrow night's clash against the Storm amid the grapple tackle debate.

Manly, Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs have also had notable run-ins with Melbourne.

[Tigger]

That should just make us more determined to win!    It's all mind games now anyway 
Personally, I don't give a flying fark about whether NSWelshians will support us or not - or if Queenslanders do either, who bloody cares?? (of course I'm not including  interstate Storm supporters in that comment  ) Storm have played games where there have only been a handful of supporters to cheer them on and have still won!  We're the best and loudest supporters around and we'll make enough noise at the Grand Final if our team is there to shut up all those deekheads trying to psych out our team!!!! 
It's how the game is played and the players mostly tune out the 'crowd' anyway from what they've told me in the past 

[Diehard_Storm]

Yeah - I agree.

The timing of all this shite could not be better.  People are saying 'what's happened to the Storm?' - Manly are now the favourites, etc etc.

Everyone is now bagging the Storm  - and it will only serve as the motivation and focus we need to make a real run into the Grand Final.

The harder they whinge, complain and throw stones....the bigger the point we have to prove.

Starting tomorrow - I expect the Storm to show everyone they mean business.

[MENACING*STORM]

Yeah - I agree.

The timing of all this shite could not be better.  People are saying 'what's happened to the Storm?' - Manly are now the favourites, etc etc.

Everyone is now bagging the Storm  - and it will only serve as the motivation and focus we need to make a real run into the Grand Final.

The harder they whinge, complain and throw stones....the bigger the point we have to prove.

Starting tomorrow - I expect the Storm to show everyone they mean business.

No doubt Diehard.
Being one of the competition's front runners, we probably got a little too comfortable and complacent with our football.
We probably got into a comfort zone of waiting for the finals to start.

Hopefully the boys treat this as a wake up call.  It's not only the players that have been targeted this week.  Our gaffer, his brains trust, the big boss, us supporters and even our poor old tea lady have been branded as "dirty".

I know this is a bit dramatic and maybe slightly OTT, but we are no longer the hunter, we are the hunted.

We have to smash the Eels tomorrow night, and then crush the Bulldogs next week and then in our final regular season game, absolutely massacre the Titans.
Diehard Storm, you mentioned that the Storm will show everyone that we mean business...this is no longer business...this is Personal   

**End of Cliche filled Rant - I'll go back to watching some more Steven Seagal movies**

[Silkin Storm]

not just hunted

but Haunted

[lotti]

works with Manly, it's rather nice to be hated.

[Christabella]

all of Sydney would get behind Manly ...
Everyone in Sydney would be barracking for Manly against Melbourne, very much so.

Not everyone hates the Storm, you bloody nutcase.
Most people can see the grapple tackle is just a media beat up.

[lotti]

a beat up by the NSW and QLD clubs, we'll just have to give it to Parramatta tomorrow night.

[nacho]

i hope storm bring their A game, theyve brought every other letter this year but A 

[Bourbon Rat]

To hell with the 'grapple tackle' & all the whining crap from opposition teams.

LET'S GET SERIOUS with the next bunch of whining arseholes

"How to skin an eel quickly:
Using a paring knife, make an incision just behind the head. Lift up the skin slightly and, using a kitchen towel to give you a better grip, pull on the skin."

Taken from the World Wide Gourmet 

[lotti]

and then it will be the Doggies turn, but soup first.

[Tigger]

"How to skin an eel quickly:
Using a paring knife, make an incision just behind the head. Lift up the skin slightly and, using a kitchen towel to give you a better grip, pull on the skin."

Do they need to be dead first?? 

[lotti]

one quick lightening bolt should fix them up Tigger.

[Mike_The_Undertaker]

all of Sydney would get behind Manly ...
Everyone in Sydney would be barracking for Manly against Melbourne, very much so.

Not everyone hates the Storm, you bloody nutcase.
Most people can see the grapple tackle is just a media beat up.

I'd reduce that to Some people.

Most follow the media like sheep.

[Christabella]

Okay what I meant was 'most people I know ... '.